Page 4 of Under Dark Skies

Layla picked up on the irritation. “I’m really sorry for that. I don’t know from things. If I’m being honest, I don’t know any metahumans, or paranormals or supernaturals or whatever the politically correct term is. I don’t even know the right words.”

He could tell she didn’t mean any harm, and genuinely seemed like she wanted to learn more, so he cut her some slack. That shit wouldn’t fly on the street though. “Well, I’m what you would historically call a lycanthrope or werewolf. I can ‘shift’ into a wolf form.

Layla nodded her head and reflexively said, “Cool.” However, she considered some of the implications, and her expression turned towards anxious. “So, like the people in the letter?”

“Relax. I’m not the bad guy here and all wolves aren’t out to eat humans despite what this letter makes it seem like. In fact, it sounds like your sister is holed up with some of my kind. Right?” He needed to let her know he was a friend.

“Yes, it seems that way.” Layla was almost in shock. Her world was growing at an exponential rate, and maybe she wasn’t able to keep up.

Rafe felt like he was playing defense, but wasn’t sure why. “I get that some of this is probably overwhelming, but you came to me. You can trust me. Maybe you think I’m going to go and report back to these guys and, I don’t know, help them track your sister.” He paused a moment and ensured he had her attention. “I’m not.”

“Dude, two hours ago I was just a girl that worked at the mall, and now I’m close to the center of a conspiracy to start a supernatural war. So, please forgive me if I seem to be struggling a little bit.” She crossed her arms and grabbed her own shoulders, since she suddenly felt so cold.

“I know, and I honestly can’t believe some of this. That’s not me calling your sister a liar. That’s just my years of experience and knowing some of the fellas mentioned in this letter.” He rubbed his eyes for a moment trying to process where and who he’d begin to question.

He stood up and it startled Layla a little. “I’m going to get to the bottom of this, and I’m going to find your sister. I know you don’t know me yet, but you’re going to soon realize that I do what I say and I say what I do.”

Then he extended his hand to shake Layla’s. She stood as well, to shake his hand, before he continued by saying, “Congratulations. You’ve just hired Rafe Gentry. Private Investigator.”

Five

Layla

Layla had always been an emotional being, and in general, she wasn’t ashamed of it. But sitting in front of this fascinating, carved-from-stone man for whatever reason made her feel self-conscious. She wanted him to see her as strong, but that had never mattered to her. A man’s opinion often meant very little, to anything at all.

He had been staring at the letter for what felt like hours, scanning it word by word unblinking eyes. He stood holding it in front of his face like a human photo scanner. It was during this time that Layla noticed his sharp features—pointed cheekbones, razor sharp teeth that stuck out the top of his mouth, the most triangular of chins—then realized she herself was scanning him.

As she did his dark eyes flicked to her.

“Have you shown this to anyone?”

She shook her head without words. He placed the letter down and immediately started typing on his computer. He was hunched over, eyes still bright and wide.

Should she have shown it to anyone? Was it causing more trouble than if she didn’t show it to anyone at all? She wasn’t an idiot, there was a way that she’d be able to sneak away somewhere, hide out till interest in her case died down. This reaction from Rafe was startling—more so due to his silence, rather than any potential outrage.

His eyes shot back to her again with bullet speed.

“I’m going to need a copy of this. I will contact some parties as soon as possible. In the meantime, you need to find a hideout. Get away from anything you know.

She frowned. “From anything I know?”

He looked at her impatiently. “Anything you’re used to doing on a daily basis. Job, boyfriend/girlfriend, friends, hangouts—avoid those entirely.”

Entirely? There literally was no other life to here other than what Rafe had just listed. She would never complain about her life being boring, she liked it that way. Her sister, on the other hand, loved a challenge and adventure. And that was what landed her in this bullshit anyway.

She noticed that he had gone back into whatever world he went to when he was focusing. This case must seem interesting to him at least. But her life was on the line, and she wasn’t going to pay for ‘interesting’.

“Would you have any recommendations?”

Rafe stood up, his leather jacket whipping against the chair. He moved behind her with a gentle precision, like a ballet dancer. She waited a while for his response, knowing that he had heard her. He was a shifter after all, and their hearing was supreme. You always knew when was one was ignoring you.

“There’s a safe-house out west. A cabin mixed in with the civilians. It isn’t secluded, but you wouldn’t drawn out any attention there.”

Layla heard the photocopier begin its clunky routine. She waited for him to explain why, then impatiently raised her voice.

“And why wouldn’t I draw out attention?”

She could have sworn she heard him snarl. “It’s nothing personal. You just have to look like a tourist and you will blend in perfectly. I have found that its more practical to hide in plain sight than to just, well, hide.”

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